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Keeping The Vine Down

Hey All-

How do you folks keep your older neps low, full and bushy?

Is it possible to, let's say,
keep a bical or hamata big and full by just lopping off any vines?

If so, will the plant be happy with no vines?

Thanks and Good Growing
B
 
bohdisatfa, I cut off the vines as long as they have 2-3 basals growing well for them. I grow my plants at my balcony so I am have limited vertical space.

Sometimes, I bend the vine over the edge of the pot to encourage more basals. And even pot new plants leaning at an angle.
 
Could you elaborate on that please Cindy (the encouraging of basal shoots)?
I'm curious how to do this as well. :)

Thanks,
-J.P.
 
Here is an example of how I bent my bicalcarata over to stimulate offshoots (basal as well as lateral shoots).

The plant before I bent it. December 2006
bical_plant.jpg


Repotted and main stem bent to encourage basal/lateral shoots.
DSC02371.jpg


First lateral shoot. January 2006
DSC02361.jpg


Four lateral shoots. September 2006
DSC07513.jpg


The plant as of last week.
bical_MT1.jpg
 
Here is an example of how I bent my bicalcarata over to stimulate offshoots (basal as well as lateral shoots).

Woh~ Thanks to your sharing.
that's good idea.
Very helpful to me. thanks!:-D
 
Hiya Cindy-

Thanks for those pics!

They provide alot of info.

Great looking plants too :-D

Good Growing to ya,
Bo
 
Very nice! Thanks a bunch!!!

-J.P.
 
thats a great idea. thanks!
 
UPDATE!!

After reading this, I decided to try Cindy's "bending method" with my 2ft long N.ventricosa. I let the vine hang over the pot the day she posted (September 5th) and upon inspection today (September 22nd) there are already basal shoots forming! I didn't believe it would work but now I have shoots forming on just about every other node. I can't believe it! This definately needs to be put somewhere so that others can try!

Thanks so much!
-J.P.
 
  • #11
Wow, so that's why my bellii and judith finn sent out shoots...they both got a little top heavy, because of the way that the previous owners trimmed them, (and they aren't even that big) they bent over, and now they both have basal shoots at the base...may I suggest that this could be a great way to save a sickly nep?
thanks for the info!
-Gabe
 
  • #12
Hey just wanted to say you can pile up lfs around the base it worked inadvertently for me :D
 
  • #13
Wow, maybe I need to do this to my N.Fusca

its gotten quite tall but I don't know if I have the patientce to wait that long for it to produce offshoots
 
  • #14
Thats a great illustration of vine bending Cindy. Another alternative to vine bending to encourage basal growth is to simply let the vine go! If the vine does get extremely long (I had an N.x Rokko with over 10 feet of vine and and N. glabrata with over 6 feet) basal should sprout up all over the base. the N. glabrata had about 5 that all had mature pitchers which were also a bonus "biggie" size due to the basal status.
 
  • #15
are you potting in total Spagnum moss?

does the medium have any play on the plant producing Basal shoots?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #16
Both were in a mix of chiefly sphagnum moss as the primary component. The N. glabrata had some perlite and coconut chips in as amendments. It also received overhead watering 2 times daily.

Personally, from what I have experienced I do not believe the media has a direct effect on basal shoots, but rather an indirect effect. If the media is correct and the plant takes well to it, becomes large and vigorous, then the chances of basal shoots forming are greater. So I guess you could say an indirect effect due to the result of the plant being healthier, increasing chances for auxiliary growth to occur.
 
  • #17
Yes, yes, yes. I see this thread hasn't had a reply in 4 months; however, I thought that this would be a relevant update instead of creating a new thread.

I have further support of Cindy's suggestion. Today when I was watering my Nepenthes I noticed not one but two basals growing on my N. 'Medusa'. The plant is leaning a lot, as the pictures will show.

NMedusa-53008-002.jpg


And the basals:
NMedusa-53008-001.jpg


xvart.
 
  • #18
This is such an odd coinsidence this thread has been revived, I recently received a good sized (6-8") N. aristolochioides and the growing tip had been snapped off during shipping. Remembering this thread I repotted it on its side hoping to promote good basal replacement growth. Luckily it was quite easy to do since it was rather long and viny already, sometimes with tighter rosetted neps its harder to get them to bend over to thier side.
 
  • #19
I see your paltry 2 basals, and I raise you 4 more. You can't see them all in this pic, but there are 6. Check out this alborgy:

DSCN0291.jpg


The vine is the brown stick training off to the left.
 
  • #20
Cool pics, I never new this could happen. I might try this, in the far future.........
 
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